John Wick and the Revenge of the Action Movie

Keanu Reeves isn't what I would call a Grade A actor.  Those spots are for thespians like Daniel Day Lewis, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Leonardo Dicaprio.  I would probably put him somewhere in the C or D Grade as far as actors go.  However, with that said, Reeves has been in some of my favorite action movies of all time!

In his new film, Reeves plays a retired hitman whose wife has recently died.  All he has left in his life is a '69 Mustang, and a puppy his wife bought him before she died.  Along comes the son of a Russian mob boss who has no idea who John Wick is, and he proceeds to steal Wick's car and kill his dog.  From that point on the film is a walking testosterone for movies of old.  Wick kills anyone and everyone to get his revenge, and then, afterwards, he kills a few more people.

We all know this film isn't going to be nominated for any Oscars, but I love films made in the late 80's to early 90's that were very hardcore, R-rated, action films. I feel like we don't get those kinds of films anymore.  Studios are so worried about making everything appeal to suck a mass audience that most action films are PG-13 and have to scale back.  Even Stallone and Schwarzenegger, the guys who perfected the R-rated action film, don't do these kind of movies anymore.  It's just refreshing to see.

Like most of his performances, Reeves starts out kind of stiff, but once the bullets start flying he tends to loosen up.  I'll give him credit that he still knows how to bust out those kung-fu moves he learned in The Matrix.  I'll also give some credit to directors Chad Staelski and David Leitch.  Both of them are renown stunt coordinators, with John Wick being their first directing jobs.  Their talent shows in this film because the fight choreography is great.

  The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the world that the two directors made.  John uses weird gold coins to pay for everything in the film.  He stays at a hotel that is a safe haven for those of his profession, and he's on a first name basis with the clean-up crew that mop up the blood after every fight scene.  It's no different than watching a Harry Potter or a Marvel film.  Staelski and Leitch have created a world within our own that seems foreign, yet takes place right beside the real world.

This film has some great talent in it as well.  There are cameos by William Dafoe, John Leguizamo, and Ian McShane.  Game of Thrones star, Alfie Allen, plays the dumb Russian brat who Wick is after.  The part is very similar to the dumb brat he plays in GoT.  The highlighting supporting role for me was Friday Night Light alumni Adrianna Palicki.  I'm always rooting for FNL actors and I can't wait to see her step into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mockingbird. 

This is a popcorn film that doesn't apologize for what it is.  The acting and story aren't the best, but it makes up for it with lots of good action and style.  Reeves best roles are in films like Point Break, Speed, and The Matrix.  If he can stay within his strengths as an action hero I believe his career can have a resurgence.  To quote John Wick himself, "Yeah, I'm think I'm back."
 If you're looking for a mind-numbing, bang-bang, film to go see I recommend John Wick.  Just try not to count the dead bodies.  The world hasn't thought of a number that big yet.

 RATING:  C+

The 'Fury' of War

War is horrible.  Some people try to glorify it, but it sucks.  In the film, Fury, directed by David Ayer, I felt like he tried to portray that message.  Nobody ever wins a war.  Either you die physically or you survive and die internally.  At least that's the message I got from this film.

Logan Lerman plays Norman, a young man who is thrust into battle at the end of WWII.  Norman is assigned to the tank Fury, commanded by Wardaddy, played by Brad Pitt.  Along with them are Shia LaBeouf(Transformers), Michael Pena(End of Watch), and Jon Bernthal(The Walking Dead).  These men are charged with cleaning up Germany in 1945 and fighting off the last of the Nazi regime.

Along the way Norman learns the horrors of war from his tankmates.  Some of whom he disagrees with, but they must all work together if they are to survive an attack from over 300 Nazi soldiers.

The strongest part of this film were the performances.  At first you think Pitt is just doing his Inglorious Bastards character, but as the film goes on you see him as a much deeper character.  At the end of each battle he must take a moment to shutter at what he has done.  He must also keep his men in check who are being driven mad by years of killing.  On the other side of the coin is the new kid, Norman.  Norman has to learn to kill a man to preserve his life and those of his comrades.  I thought Lerman did a great job of trying to play that innocence, and then had that moment when he gets it; he gets what he has to do to live. 

 The rest of the crew gave solid performances that made each of their characters likable.  The film also felt like it was a smaller, more personal story, than other war films.  With five men in a tight space you have to feel the relationships between them.  The two strongest scenes were when Wardaddy was making Norman give out his first kill, and also when Wardaddy tries to have a sense of normalcy when running into two German women who were trying to hide.

The weakness in this film is it's predictability.  At the beginning you can guess the end, and they're really weren't any surprises.  However, I liked how it was about the men running the tanks.  A lot of war films we see infantry or pilots.  This was a nice change of perspective.

David Ayer did a fine of job of showing us how horrible war is, the tough decisions soldiers make, and how it effects them.  I really liked the final shot of the film.  I think it speaks to the strength of the men inside Fury, and the tragedy of war.

RATING:  B-

WB's DC Characters Look To Out-Plan Marvel

In the race of comic book films Marvel is so far ahead of DC they've pretty much lapped them; twice.  However, this week's announcement by Warner Bros could improve their chances to catch up.  WB/DC took the wind out of the sails of the Avengers sequel when they appeared at the San Diego Comic Con with a Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice teaser, a picture of what Wonder Woman will look like, and their three main stars making a brief appearance.  Now they've upstaged Marvel again. Just days after Variety reported Robert Downey Jr appearing in the third Captain America film, Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara came out to announce some upcoming projects such as several LEGO films, three Harry Potter spin-off films, and a ten-film slate for their DC Comic characters.  

After Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros will come out with two films a year, starting with a stand-alone Wonder Woman film starring Gal Gadot along with one of two Justice League films.  Also on the schedule is a Green Lantern reboot film, a stand-alone Cyborg film, and an Aquaman film starring the long-rumored Jason Momoa.  But even before we get Wonder Woman we'll get Suicide Squad, based on the comic about a bunch of super villains who are forced to do good.

This is a very ambitious line-up WB has planned, but it also says to Marvel Studios, and the rest of the world, "we're all in."  I wasn't the biggest fan of Man of Steel, but the things I liked about it, such as Henry Cavill and Amy Adams performances, will carry on throughout the other DC films.  

The film announcement that shocked me the least was the Green Lantern reboot.  After the poorly received Ryan Reynolds film failed to jump start the DC film universe I still believed it had potential to be a part of this grand plan.  But it looks like Warner Bros is just wiping the chalkboard clean and starting from scratch. Chances are by the time we see the GL film we'll already have an impression as to whether we like this character or not.  Odds are as well that it'll be Hal Jordan taking center stage just like the previous film.  But with several other human Green Lantern's to choose from I wouldn't be surprised if they go with John Stewart or even Guy Gardner.

The two films that shocked me the most were the announcements of a Cyborg and Flash film.  Given that Flash is arguably the fourth most popular DC character I'm not shocked he's getting his own film; just shocked that they've already cast Ezra Miller as the Scarlet Speedster.  I like The Perks of Being A Wallflower star, and I could see him being a good Bart Allen or young Wally West. But as Barry Allen, I'm not so sure.  Plus Barry Allen's story is already being told in a new series on The CW that is off to a good start in my opinion. 

 Meanwhile the stand-alone Cyborg film confused me.  Cyborg is great character, but he's always been a supporting character and never had his own ongoing comic.  I'd much rather see him in a Teen Titans film, where the character really got his start. As far as the solo Aquaman movie starring Jason Momoa? We all saw that coming after months of speculation.

The most ambitious move by WB/DC will be the Wonder Woman film.  She's thee iconic super heroine in the world, and after much talk about Marvel being the first to release a female-led film Warner Bros announces one first.  This of course is all resting on Gal Gadot's ability to pull of this classic comic book character.  I think I speak for everyone when I say, we are praying Gadot has more talent than she showed us in the Fast & Furious franchise.  

It's a bold move for Warner Bros to announce all these films before we've even seen The Dark Knight Returns...I mean...Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  This all lyes on that film being good.  And just because I haven't agreed how Zach Snyder and Warner Bros have treated the DC characters so far doesn't mean I'm not rooting for them.  I'm in their fan section with a big foam finger attached to me.  

I honestly could write about this subject until I fall asleep on my keyboard.  I didn't even get into the Shazam film starring Dwayne Johnson, or the absence of Green Arrow.  With Marvel and DC about to unleash a buffet of films into the world I think I speak for comic book fanboys everywhere when I quote Seth Cohen, "We're not outcast anymore. We're trailblazers."

Marvel's Cinematic Civil War A Good Idea?

This week has been a comic enthusiasts dream.  After coming off all the news from the New York Comic Con there were also two big movie stories that broke.  I'll share my thoughts on Warner Bros announcement in my next post, but for now I'm gonna focus my feeling about Marvel Studios.

Robert Downey Jr seems to be teasing Iron Man fans lately with saying he wants to do another Iron Man film and then retracting his statement just hours later.  Now, Variety has reported that Downey is in negotiations to guest star in the third Captain America film opposite Chris Evans.  This is happy news, but the 'exciting' part of the rumor is that Cap 3 is set to start the infamous Marvel storyline, Civil War.

In the 2006 miniseries, the government has implemented the Superhero Registration Act, a law that requires any vigilantes or masked heroes to reveal their identities and work for Uncle Sam.  Tony Stark sees just how serious the American government is about this and decides to support the Act.  Meanwhile, Captain America opposes the Act and leads an underground group against Iron Man and those who follow him.

This series was epic and one of my favorites.  I've always dreamed of seeing it on the big screen, but I'm hesitant about this decision.  A main focus in this story was Spider-Man.  He's the Marvel hero that protects his identity the most, which is why Stark convinces him to reveal who he is at a press conference.  Later on, Peter Parker switches sides to Cap's team.  Peter's journey in this plot is central, and without him I feel like the movie(s) will be missing it's heart.  However, there are talks about Sony loaning Spider-Man to Marvel Studios due to their financial situation.  Could Marvel take advantage of this and get Spider-Man mixed in to the cinematic Civil War? 

 Another major perspective in Civil War is the Fantastic Four, which Fox currently owns the movie rights too.  Having to choose sides tares this team in two and almost destroys Reed and Sue Richards marriage.  Without this subplot I feel like the film may also be missing another piece of it's center.  I don't believe for a second Marvel is canceling the FF comic book in an effort to try and hurt the upcoming film, thus allowing Marvel to possibly get the rights back.  By the time the Fantastic Four movie is released next year you can bet Marvel Comics will have another FF series out to take advantage of any buzz the film may get.

My last gripe about bringing up Civil War on screen is the lack of characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Sure we have more characters coming like Ant-Man and Dr. Strange, but all of these superheroes have already outed their identities.  The only issue would be those who are forced to work for the government or hang-up their tights, or leather now-a-days.  Of course, if they need more heroes Netflix's Defenders team will be coming up soon.
And what about Thanos?  We all figured Avengers 3 would be the Infinity Gauntlet.  Are they really going to continue that slow burn until perhaps Avengers 4 or 5?  I could however see all the Marvel heroes splitting up, but then having to put aside their differences to face the galaxy's ultimate baddie.

With all the concerns I've listed don't think for a second I'm not ecstatic about this!  Sure they'll probably have to pay RDJ a crap-load of more money, but seeing this all unfold will be sweet.  You can see in Captain America: The Winter Solider how the small seeds were planted for the idea of Civil War.  Speaking of which, the second Captain America film strayed pretty far from the original source material, but was still the best film Marvel Studios has released in my opinion.  So if this "Civil War" doesn't follow the miniseries exactly I won't be upset as long as it's good.

A year ago there was a phrase that I, and perhaps others, have started reciting; In Feige We Trust.  Guardians of the Galaxy was a risk for Marvel Studios that paid off big time because their president knows what he's doing.  I'm sure he's had Civil War planned for years now and is just now letting us all in on a fraction of his plan.  The story may not be exactly like the original comic, but as long as it's a good film I'll be ok with it. 

 Marvel Comics seem to be bringing back old story lines like Secret Wars, Planet Hulk, and Civil War, but the cinematic world is still a toddler that has a lifetime of stories to tell that will be fresh to us all.  Now if you'll excuse me I'll need a break before I start my DC/Warner Bros post.  Or I may just watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier because I could literally watch that film every day. Until next time true believers, In Feige We Trust. 

'The Flash' Peeks At The Finish Line From The Starting Line

After months of waiting The Flash finally premiered tonight on The CW.  I've spent the last few days browsing through some of my Flash graphic novels, mostly those written by Geoff Johns.  I also hopped on YouTube to catch some clips of Grant Gustin on season 2 of Arrow, which full episodes become available on Netflix tomorrow.  I've enjoyed watching Arrow the last few years, and being that the Flash is one of my favorite superheroes I was more than psyched for tonight's pilot.

Barry Allen is a forensic assistant for the Central City Police Department.  When Barry was 11-years-old his mother was murdered and his father was convicted for it.  But Barry saw something that night; something he can't explain.  Fast forward to present day and Barry wakes up from a 9 month coma after being struck by lightening.  He has super healing and super speed, but Barry's not the only guy in town with impossible abilities.  Barry must enlist the help of his S.T.A.R. Labs cohorts to stop a man who can control the weather. 

Tonight's episode was allegedly an extended edition of the pilot.  I hope that extended part was the first five minutes, because it was the worst part about the whole episode.  Those five minutes set-up Barry's life pre-powers.  I can see why this might help someone who is not familiar with Flash, or didn't see Grant Gustin on Arrow.  However, almost everything in those minutes were either repeated or not necessary.  When I re-watch this episode I'm doing the 2-part arch on Arrow and then start with Barry waking up; like the series should have.

Now that I have my gripe out of the way; I LOVED IT!!!  Gustin played a young Barry perfectly, but I already had faith in him after his guest starring role on Arrow.  His relationship with not only Iris, but all the other characters, seemed to click.  Barry has always been a comic book character who is hopeful.  While Warner Bros is setting up all the DC films to be all the same tone I'm glad to see that show creators, Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti, know Barry is a totally different person from Oliver Queen.  Therefore we know this will be a totally different show than Arrow.

The episode is laced with Easter eggs. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.  The most obvious is that the man who played Barry Allen on television 20 years ago,  John Wesley Shipp, is now playing Barry's dad.  As Barry and Harrison walk through S.T.A.R. Labs we see a busted cage labeled "GRODD."  This references Gorilla Grodd, a long-time villain of the Flash who is a giant, intelligent, ape.  I smell a Flash/Planet of the Apes crossover joke somewhere in there. We also meet a lot of characters from the comic book series, and being privileged to know their supposed fates, I can't wait to see it unfold.  However, the best surprise was the final scene.

A paralyzed Dr. Harrison Wells enters a room, but then walks over to a digital newspaper from ten years into the future headlining a Wayne Tech/ Queen Industries merger, but also a Flash death via 'Crisis.' In Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry Allen sacrifices himself to save all of reality.  It's one of the most iconic moments in comic book history, and something that would not be rectified until Barry's return in Final Crisis over two decades later.  This says to me that not only will this show stay true to the Flash mythology, but that they've already got their series ending planned out should the series go ten seasons like Smallville.

The Flash pilot seems to be a great jump-start to this series.  I like the tone, the effects, and so far, the actors.  As Barry explores his powers he'll find out that he can not only phase through solid objects, but also travel through time.  This power will eventually help him solve his mother's murder.  The show's possibilities, like Barry's powers, are limitless.  Now I am only praying we get a Arrow/Flash Justice League episode(s) in a few years.  As of right now I feel like it'll be way more interesting than whatever Zach Snyder has planned.

A New Dawn for Star Wars with 'Rebels'

Let me start out by saying I meant to finish the lead-in novel, Star Wars: A New Dawn, before watching Star Wars: Rebels.  I'm about halfway through the book but I just couldn't wait to see this series. And now, I can't wait to finish A New Dawn.  Rebels is the first piece of Star Wars to come out under the new banner.  It gives us a glimpse as to what Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm, and Disney, has in store for the future of Star Wars.

Star Wars: Rebels takes place five years before Episode IV, or fourteen years after Episode III, which is exactly how old our main character is; Ezra.  Ezra comes off as a real "Aladdin" type who doesn't have much, and stole to get what he has. He runs into the crew of the Ghost in the middle of a job and soon he's on their ship being chased by TIE fighters.  Ezra then learns that his new companions are more than simple smugglers, and that maybe he might just fit in with this misfit group of rebels.

The first episode titled, Spark of Rebellion, is out on DVD as a one shot, and if I had to put it against The Clone Wars theatrical movie I'd choose Rebels.  I enjoyed The Clone Wars as a whole, but this series takes us back to what a lot of us first loved about Star Wars; the space adventures of an unlikely team.  It also seemed, that as I watched the pilot episode, I kept getting a pleasant Guardians of the Galaxy and Firefly feel to this series.

Former 90's teen star (and Mr. Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Freddie Prince Jr,  leads this voice cast as Kanan, captain of the Ghost and Jedi-in-hiding.  Kanan recognizes Ezra's Force potential and offers to train him in the ways of The Force.  These two seem like what we all wanted Obi-Wan and Anakin to be in the prequels; a rugged Jedi and his rebellious padawan.  In fact, the entire episode I kept thinking, "why couldn't Anakin be like this in Episode I?".  By the end of the pilot Kanan has been publicly outed as a Jedi and now a dark figure is about to be on his tail.  There have been rumors about Jedi hunters in Episode VII, and this looks like exactly what The Inquisitor may be.

From the first sound of TIE fighters flying by to the score of Binary Sunset playing at the end I was enticed to learn more about these new characters.  With Episode VII edging closer to theaters I think Rebels will be a nice appetite filler for us uber-Star Wars fans till Christmas 2015.  Now if you'll excuse me I have a book to finish because I really want to know just what Kanan and Hera's relationship is.  May The Force be with us all! 

  

This 'Gone Girl' is Waaaay Gone

My wife is an intelligent woman.  And I'm not trying to score any points here.  We've been married for five years now, so I score points the normal way like getting her flowers, surprising her with gifts, and letting her pick out whatever curtains she wants for the bedroom.  That last thing is mainly just because I could not care less about curtains.  Going back to my first sentence.  After just seeing Gone Girl I am now TERRIFIED of my wife!

In the latest film by director David Fincher, Ben Affleck stars as Nick, a man whose wife disappears.  He's not happy in his marriage, and throughout the film we learn Nick made quite a few mistakes in his time as a husband.  But soon all the evidence points to Nick being the prime suspect in his wife's alleged murder.  I think that's about as much as I can tell you about the plot without giving away any spoilers.  And I didn't give away 'The Red Wedding' so I'm definitely not gonna ruin this for anyone.

Fincher has assembled a cast of epic proportion.  I believe a director's #1 job is to get the best performance out of his actors, and boy did he get it.  Affleck is becoming more popular as a director himself, but proves he's still a good actor in this film. The way I felt about Nick must have changed four times in the span of two hours.  Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris make cameos that aren't brief, but a little more forgettable than say Carrie Coon, who plays Affleck's sister.  She adds a wit to the film that can break the tension just by being real.  Let's be honest, we all have some insults about our in-laws loaded in the chamber.

  As great as Affleck is it's Rosemund Pike who steals the show.  I found her hot as a "Bond girl" all those years ago, but now I'm enchanted by her.  Granted, the possible Oscar nominated films have just started to roll out, but if she does not get a nomination I will be very surprised.  If I say anymore I'll have given too much away.  But after you see the film I'll tell you the four word sentence I kept repeating the whole drive home. And you'll agree with me.

This film has great story that was greatly executed.  From the beginning credits a tone was set that carried throughout.  I've been hearing how it's not a good date movie but somehow I feel it's terrific film to see with your spouse.  The tension breakers will make you look at each other and laugh.  It might even bring up a conversation you've been meaning to have.  Or, if you're a guy, you'll finally be inspired to open up that bar you've always talked about.

 RATING:  A-